


Pumpkin Flavored Everything

by inviernos



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M, HighSpecs, HighSpecs Week, Pumpkin spice HighSpecs, this isn't canon either y'all lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 01:10:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12200958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inviernos/pseuds/inviernos
Summary: Ignis wasn’t really one for fall decorations, but Aranea might have the power to convince him to change his mind.





	Pumpkin Flavored Everything

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Day 4 of HighSpecs week for the shopping prompt.
> 
> There are a few food mentions in this so feel free to avoid it if you need to.

Ignis rubbed his hands together for warmth as he stood outside of the shop he and Aranea agreed they would meet in front of.  They had plans to grab a cup of coffee after work, but since Aranea usually left the Citadel a little bit later than he did, he offered to wait somewhere close so that they could walk over together.

But the fall weather had hit Insomnia right on time and he was starting to have wished he’d offered to wait for her in the café.  It had been freezing when he left his apartment that morning, but he expected it to warm up later.  But of course, the sun hadn’t made another appearance that day and it only grew colder and greyer as the day went on.  And as another cold gust of wind blew through his sweater, he’d immediately regretted all of his wardrobe-related choices earlier that morning.

They had only made their plans a few days ago, and he had made sure to save his favorite black sweater for the occasion.  Ignis had always seen Aranea around the Citadel and was not oblivious to the fact that she was an attractive woman, but they worked in different areas of the building and he never really got the chance to know much more about her than her name.  Gladio had known Aranea better and for much longer than he had and had introduced them a while ago, but it seemed like after that first official meeting they’d both become much shyer around each other. 

Ignis was fairly certain that Gladio wasn’t supposed to have told him that Aranea asked about him on more than one occasion, but he was secretly glad that he did.  It had given him the push to ask if she had any plans for this evening and now, after spending long enough only seeing each other in passing around the Citadel, they had the opportunity to get to know each other outside of work. 

He looked behind him at the display of the home décor store he was waiting in front of and decided to have a look around while he waited.  Ignis wasn’t really one for decorating for the seasons, but he could pretend to be interested in the many fall themed knick-knacks if it meant it’d get him out of the cold chill until Aranea arrived.

As he opened the door he was greeted by the sound of a bell and the much needed warm embrace of the store’s heating system.  The faint smell of cinnamon hung in the air over people shuffling around new displays of various pumpkin decorations, plastic fall colored leaves, and more variations of fall-themed cookware than he really thought was necessary.

Ignis carefully made his way to the bedding at the back of the store.  His plan was to start there and make his way around.  He’d get to stay in the warmth of the shop for longer and hopefully Aranea would show up before he made his way back to the front. 

He was almost impressed by how much fall-themed bedding the store carried.  He thought a throw blanket was more than enough decoration for one’s bed, and had to stop and take it in when he spotted bedsheets and a comforter covered in orange leaves and pumpkins on the display bed.

“ _Who would put this on their bed?”_ He thought.  “ _Perhaps they’re alright for a child but this is definitely a queen sized bed…_ ”

He made his way into the aisle where the bathroom things were.  There were the usual plain bathroom effects, but towards the end of the aisle was a special section already flashing bright orange at him.  More pumpkin shaped toothbrush holders were on shelfs next to pumpkin shaped soap dishes.  He was surprised he hadn’t seen a shower curtain or bathmat with pumpkins or even a skeleton design on them.

The next aisle he walked into contained the more general Halloween decorations for around the house.  At least the miniature light up haunted houses and witch’s cauldrons made more sense to him than toothbrush holders.  And then he spotted them; Halloween-themed Christmas tree ornaments. 

He was just about to walk out of the aisle shaking his head, when he felt his phone begin to vibrate in his pocket.  He looked at the screen and it was finally her.

“Aranea,” he spoke, possibly a little too eager to hear from her.

“Heyyyyy…” she said through the phone, “I’m here now.”

“Forgive me,” began Ignis.  He started to make his way up to the front of the store and spotted her on the other side of the window, thankfully she had been wearing a coat.

“I just went inside the shop for a bit I’ll be righ-“ he began to say.

“Oh my god, they have all of their fall stuff out already!” she said excitedly.  “I’ll be right in!”

Before Ignis could say anything, he watched her turn around on the other side of the window and make her way into the store.  She stopped before she reached him, looking at a small display of transparent glass pumpkins on a table near the entrance.

“Hello,” he greeted her.

“Hey.  Did you wait very long?  I’m sorry,” she said as she placed a hand on her chest.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Ignis.  “I’ve just been in here looking at the many… _many_ variations of plastic pumpkins one can use to cook with this season.”

“I know right,” she smiled.  “I love this store.  They always go all out when it starts to get colder.”

She walked right past him to the display of fall-themed scented candles and immediately opened a large jar containing a red-orange candle and carefully smelled it.  He followed, standing to her side to read the label.  She held the candle up to his nose to sniff and the fragrance was much more pleasant than he’d ever remembered fall leaves to smell.

“Ooh, they have the campfire candle again,” she exclaimed.  “I love this one!”

“Campfire-scented?” he scrunched his brows together as she held a large brown colored candle out to him.

What he smelled was less like the fires he remembered from his camping days and was more like marshmallows and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on.  Ignis didn’t know if he expected her to be someone who cared this much about candles, but he did find it endearing.  Either way, he was just happy to learn whatever things about her that he could.

“Well at least it smells better than I expected,” said Ignis.

“This is my favorite one, I always stock up when they come back into stores.”

Before Ignis could reply Aranea had quickly moved on to another display with various miniature figurines and other small glass decorations.

“Oh my gosh, look at that,” Aranea said as if she had just seen the cutest thing in her life.

She held up a small transparent glass ghost floating up out of a boiling cauldron of green liquid in front of Ignis.

“I want to get this for my desk,” she said.  “Well I mean…for when I’m actually sitting at it.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for pumpkins and ghosts on everyone’s desk?” Ignis chuckled.

“Nope,” Aranea said quickly.  “As soon as that calendar changes to September first, it’s game on.”

“You don’t like Halloween, Ignis?” she asked.

“It’s not that, I just think it’s funny how it’s barely the end of September and all the stores are already pretending it’s Halloween.”

“Aww, Halloween might as well _start_ in September for me,” she said.

“Now this must be your favorite aisle,” said Aranea as they entered the cookware aisle.

“Well, usually,” said Ignis.

“Aww come on, I bet you don’t like pumpkin pie either.”

Aranea picked up a single pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, placed it in front of her eye and looked at Ignis accusingly through it.

“I do actually, and I can cook a great pumpkin pie,” said Ignis as he picked up a bat-shaped cookie cutter and looked back at Aranea through one of the wings.

“Well then you’ll have to bring me a slice some time maybe,” said Aranea.

“I would be delighted,” said Ignis.  “But probably not until the middle of next month.”

“Speaking of…” she began, suddenly preoccupying herself with a mug on the shelf and moving along the aisle.

“You going to that big Halloween party the Prince and his girlfr-sorry, fiancée always throw?”

“I go every year,” said Ignis.  “And you?”

“Of course,” said Aranea happily.  “So what’re you gonna be?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” he said.

“Oh thank god,” she laughed.  “I don’t think I remember seeing you there when I’ve gone but I was worried you were gonna say you didn’t dress up or something.”

“Come now,” he began.  “Despite popular belief, I _can_ get into the Halloween spirit once the time actually comes.”

“That’s good to hear,” she said.

“And how about you?” he asked.

“I haven’t decided yet either,” she simply shrugged.

“Hmm, I would’ve thought an enthusiast like you would’ve had their outfit picked out last year.”

“Well you just wait, mister.  I go all out for Halloween,” said Aranea.

“I’ll definitely be anticipating your costume then.”

“You’d better,” she said playfully. 

“You know if you want I can help you decide on a costume later on too.  I’m totally your girl.”

“You really do seem like the expert here.  I’ll keep it in mind,” Ignis nodded.  “Thank you for offering.”

“Yeah, I’d love to help,” she smiled back at him, but Ignis watched her eyes look just past him and out the store window again.

“Oh…we were supposed to get coffee weren’t we?” a slightly guilty look washed across her face.

Ignis glanced behind her out of the window, realizing that it had gotten significantly darker (and probably much colder) than when he’d entered the store.

“Sorry,” she said shyly.  “Guess I got kinda carried away in here.”

“Don’t worry about it, Aranea.  I mean…” he shrugged, “the coffee shops in Insomnia never really close.”

“You’re right,” she said. 

“And I don’t know about you but I’m kinda hungry…I mean only if you wanna go find somewhere to eat,” she added quickly.

“You don’t have to come wi-“

“It’d be my pleasure,” he reassured her.  “It is about that time.”

“Great,” she smiled up at him.  “Let me just pay for this first.”

Ignis waited by the front of the shop as Aranea paid for her desk decoration.  He felt a cold breeze from a new customer opening the door and letting the outside air in.  Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought about how he really should have brought a coat along.  But then Aranea was at his side again, the Aranea that he now knew loved marshmallow scented candles and took Halloween very seriously.  He readily walked into the night air with her to their next destination, coat or no coat; he couldn’t wait to spend more time with her.

**Author's Note:**

> Ignis to Aranea somewhere along the way probably: mans not cold.
> 
> As always thanks for reading if you made it this far :3


End file.
